Detector physics and simulation of resistive plate chambers

We present a simulation model suited to study efficiency, timing and pulse-height spectra of Resistive Plate Chambers. After discussing the details of primary ionisation, avalanche multiplication, signal induction and frontend electronics, we apply the model to timing RPCs with time resolution down to 50 ps and trigger RPCs with time resolution of about 1 ns.     

Predicting Forest Age Classes from High Spatial Resolution Remotely Sensed Imagery Using Voronoi Polygon Aggregation

Efficient identification of forest age is useful for forest management and ecological applications. Here we propose a user-assisted method for determining forest age using high spatial resolution remotely sensed imagery. This method requires individual trees to be extracted from imagery and represented as points. We use a local maximum filter to generate points that are converted to Voronoi polygons. Properties of the Voronoi polygons are correlated with forest age and used to aggregate points (trees) into areas (stands) based on three forest age classes. Accuracy of the aggregation ranges from approximately 68% to 78% and identification of the mature class is more consistent and accurate than the younger classes.     

Project failures in small companies

The author relates his experiences in a small software development company. These experiences show that project management is challenging and if the project manager is an obstacle, the project is bound to fail. When it does, it can spell disaster for the manager and anyone who accompanies him or her on a software development journey.     

Creating and Justifying Research and Development Value: Scope,Scale, Skill and Social Networking of R&D

In this paper we describe a framework for analysing the creation and justification of Research & Development. The 4S framework is developed for analysing the scope, scale, skills and social network aspects of Research & Development value. The framework is based on social system theory, a process contingency model, and recent Research & Development metrics. We present a first empirical assessment based on a workshop using the 4S framework for leveraging Research & Development. Results that assist in the assessment of value creation utilising R & D within networks are very relevant in high tech industries. The multi–dimensional process approach of this framework seems promising for understanding and managing R&D value creation, but needs further operationalisation. Case studies are described and a Dutch network on leveraging R&D has been initiated.     

A Study of Integrated Document and Connection Caching in the WWW

Document caching and connection caching are extensively studied problems. In document caching, one has to maintain caches containing documents accessible in a network. In connection caching, one has to maintain a set of open network connections that handle data transfer. Previous work investigated these two problems separately while in practice the problems occur together: In order to load a document, one has to establish a connection between network nodes if the required connection is not already open. In this paper we present the first study that integrates document and connection caching. We first consider a very basic model in which all documents have the same size and the cost of loading a document or establishing a connection is equal to 1. We present deterministic and randomized online algorithms that achieve nearly optimal competitive ratios unless the size of the connection cache is extremely small. We then consider general settings where documents have varying sizes. We investigate a FAULT model in which the loading cost of a document is 1 as well as a BIT model in which the loading cost is equal to the size of the document.     

比较ADC的孔径延迟

在通信设计和数据采集等一些应用中,比较多路模数转换器(ADC)之间的孔径延迟非常重要,必须对其进行测量.     

Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of InAs0.67P0.33/InP strained single quantum wells

The optical emission characteristics of biaxially compressed InAs _x P_{1− x} /InP strained single quantum well (QW) structures, with nominal compositionx=0.67, have been investigated using photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopies. The highly strained QWs exhibit intense and narrow PL in the 0.9–1.5 μm wavelength range, similar to the lattice-matched InGaAs(P)/InP system. The 20 K PLE spectra exhibit well-resolved features attributed ton=1 heavy hole (E1H1) and light hole (E1L1) transitions in the 1.0–1.5 μm wavelength range. In addition, features attributed to transitions betweenn=2 electrons and heavy holes (E2H2), and betweenn=1 electrons and unconfined holes (E1Hf), were observed. The energy splitting between the heavy-hole and light-hole bands was found to be a sensitive measure of the band offsets in the system. The best prediction of this splitting was obtained for a valence band offset of δE _V ∼0.25δE _G . This value of band offset was in agreement with the energy position of the E1Hf transition. The observed transition energies were also compared with the results of a finite square well model, taking into account the effects of strain, and the results offer further support for the band offset assignment. This study indicates that the InAsP system may be advantageous for application in strained-layer optoelectronic devices operating in the 1.3–1.6 μm wavelength range.     

Linguistic Knowledge, Processing Speed, and Metacognitive Knowledge in First- and Second-Language Reading Comprehension: A Componential Analysis.

The authors report results of a study into the role of components of first-language (L1; Dutch) and second-language (L2; English) reading comprehension. Differences in the contributions of components of L1 and L2 reading comprehension are analyzed, in particular processing speed in L1 and L2. Findings indicate that regression weights of the L1 and L2 components are different. Although correlations between most processing speed components and reading comprehension are substantial, there are no unique contributions to the explanation of either L1 or L2 reading comprehension when linguistic and metacognitive knowledge are accounted for. In addition, L1 reading comprehension is shown to have a large contribution to L2 reading comprehension, supporting theories of L1-L2 transfer of reading skills. Results are discussed from a developmental perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Systematic modeling and model handling for manpower planning systems

The primary purpose of this paper is to show an efficient way of handling models and model data in a decision support system, in which it is usual to consider several variants of a model. The model data primarily consist of model-defining data, but the same approach may be used for the generated results as well. By efficient handling is meant the handling by the computer as well as by the user. For the user it is particularly important that new models can be conveniently defined as variants of existing models. The approach is introduced within the context of a decision support system for manpower planning based on Markov models. In the mean time the same approach has been used for the implementation of other decision support systems and has been found to be more generally applicable.